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USA Pro Challenge fans can vote for final stage to start in Boulder

By Amy Bounds Camera Staff Writer

Posted:
11/04/2013 10:23:01 AM MST

Updated:
11/04/2013 10:18:30 PM MST

Fans line the side of Flagstaff Road to watch the final sprint of Stage 6 up Flagstaff during the 2012 USA Pro Challenge. While Boulder won t host the finish to a stage, it has applied to host the start of the final stage in the 2014 race
(
JEREMY PAPASSO
)

USA Pro Challenge organizers are giving fans a say in the locations for the final stage of the 2014 race by letting them vote -- and a Boulder start is featured in two of the four options.

The vote for Stage 7 on Aug. 24 include a Boulder start with a Denver finish and a Boulder start with a Golden finish. The other two options are a Denver Circuit Race similar to the final stage of the 2013 race and a start in Golden that finishes in Denver.

"It's an awesome opportunity for fans and communities in Colorado to give feedback on how they want to see this race finish," said Shawn Hunter, CEO of the USA Pro Challenge. "We love the Boulder community and the passion it brings to cycling."

He said the votes will play a big part in the final decision making, but they won't be the only factor considered. Other factors will include economics and input from state and local authorities, he said.

Boulder hosted the finish at Flagstaff for Stage 6 of the race in 2012, then took a year off for the 2013 event. For 2014, Boulder applied to host a less expensive, less intensive start instead of a full stage because of the widespread flood damage to county roads.

"I'm excited to have the race considering Boulder as a start," said local organizing committee co-chair Andrew Shoemaker. "I have no doubts that cycling fans in Boulder will rally and vote for a Boulder start."

He said there are many options for starting the race in Boulder, including going through downtown and the University of Colorado campus.

"You can wind the race through many parts of town and expose a lot of the community to the race," he said. "It will be good for the city. We need a community event to bring people together."

Both Shoemaker and race organizers said the iconic Flagstaff finish is an essential part of a Boulder stage. But with the uncertainty about how long it will take to bring Flagstaff and other county roads back to good condition, organizers said it would be difficult for Boulder and Boulder County to host a full stage of the race as it did in 2012.

The plan is to apply for a Flagstaff stage in 2015.

"We definitely want to return to Flagstaff at a future date," said Hunter, the race CEO. "The Flagstaff finish was a magical day and people are still talking about it."

The first six stages of the 2014 challenge also were announced Monday, with route specifics expected to be released in the spring. The stages are:

Stage 1, Aug. 18: Aspen circuit race

Stage 2, Aug. 19: Aspen to Mount Crested Butte

Stage 3, Aug. 20: Gunnison to Monarch Mountain

Stage 4, Aug. 2: Colorado Springs circuit race

Stage 5, Aug. 22: Woodland Park to Breckenridge

Stage 6, Aug. 23: Vail time trial

Monarch Mountain, with a base elevation of 10,790 feet, will be the highest stage in North America. Hunter said both fans and cyclists have lobbied for a mountain finish.

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